1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and systems for allocating resources via a network, and in particular, to methods and systems for reducing peak usage of a networked computer system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Networked computer systems tend to be designed to handle peak loads, such as those that may be encountered during prime hours, to avoid system crashes and overly lengthy response times. However, having a networked computer system configured to handle peak or burst loads often requires expensive infrastructure, and may result in certain system resources, such as processors, memory, and/or network bandwidth, being underutilized for significant periods of time.